Mechanical body and leg movements of figure toys



v. CERINO 2,541,404

MECHANICAL BODY AND LEG MOVEMENTS 0F FIGURE TOYS Feb. 13, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 8, 1945 Feb. 13, 1951 v. CERINO 2,541,404

MECHANICAL BODY AND LEG MOVEMENTS OF FIGURE TOYS Filed June 8, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v. CERINO 2,541,404

MECHANICAL BODY AND LEG MOVEMENTS OF FIGURE TOYS Feb. 13, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 8, 1945 Patented Feb. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES OFFICE MECHANICAL BODY AND LEG MOVEMENT 01* FIGURE TQYS This invention relates to wheeled figure toys, and especially to mechanical body and leg movements of figure toys.

One object of this invention is to provideanimal-simulants with means to move their bodies and legs in very realistic simulation of the natural movements of certain animals when running, leaping etc. while keeping considerable portions of the actuating means hidden in or be tween the body-simulants or main units of the animal-simulants.

Another object is to minimize the number of primarily separate parts of the animal-si1nulant and of the operating or actuating means; also to simplify the construction of each element or unit; thereby to minimize the cost of manufacture.

Another object is to provide all the units of such construction that they may be formed from any one of numerous materials.

Therefore, while wood is indicated in some figures of the accompanying drawings, and fibrous composition is indicated in other fi ures, the in-- vention is not limited to any specific material or combinations of materials.

Moreover, while these drawings show simulants of kangaroos, horses and rabbits (or a rabbit), the term, animal-simulant, as used herein, is intended for consideration in the broad est sense, viz., to include any sentient organism other than a plant that is applicable-within the scope of this invention.

In th drawings, Fig. 1 is a right-side elevation of one form of the invention that features animal-simulants representing a pair of racing and leaping kangaroos on opposite sides of a wheeled vehicle-simulant that constitutes the means for actuating the animalesimulants.

Fig. 2 is a view of the same side of the same elements as shown in Fig. 1, but the positions of the bodies and rear legs of the animal-simulants being changed by about two-thirds of a forward revolution of the rear ground-wheels or actuating wheels.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken approximately and substantially along the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional-iragmental view that shows two guiding elements united with upper parts of the respective animal-simulants, as seen from above.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing only one guiding element that serves as a rigid coupler secured to each of theanimal-simulants so as to unite them for operation in unison or as a single animal-simulant.

Fig. 1a is a right-side elevation-of a modified 7 Glaims. (Cl. 46-105) form of the invention in which a horse and jockey are featured as animal simulants united in a main unit of the animate portion, the contesting horse and jockey, that are attached to the left or far side, being omitted in this view for the sake of avoiding confusion.

Fig. 2a is a left-side elevation of the contesting horse and jockey (mentioned in the preceding paragraph), attached to or united with the left side of the supporting and actuating means of ich the right side is'shown in Fig. 1a;

ig. 3a is an elevation as viewed from a point in front of the animal-simulants, showing the relative positions of the main units and the pivotally connected minor units that represent legs, arms etc.

Fig. 4a. is a left-side elevation of the supporting frame-unit as constructed of wood.

Fig. 5a is a top plan view of the unit shown in Fig. ea.

Fig. 6a is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line t c-6a of Fig. lo. I

Fig. 7a is a much enlarged view of a securing disc such as the two at the pivot-ends of the joclzeys shoulders.

Fig. 1b. is a right-side elevation of a second modification, via, one in which a simulant of a rabbit is featured in connection with a simulant or a cart or wheeled'vehicle that constitutes the means to support and actuate the animal-simulant, a part being broken out.

Fig. 2b. is a right-side elevation of the same animahsimulant seen in Fig. 1, but showing a body-simulant and leg-simulants in positions that result from about a quarter ofa revolution of the wheel'that is the main actuating element.

Fig. 3b is a transverse vertical sectional view taken along the line Sb3b of Fig. 1b.

4th is a substantially horizontal sectional View taken along the zigzag line ib ib of Fig. 2%).

Referring to these drawings in detail, iii-which, similar reference characters refer'to similar parts in the several views, the invention is described indetail as follows:

In Figs. 1, 2 andS, twoanlmal-simulants i9: andii comprise body-simulants or main units i2 and rear leg-simulants IS, the latter being united with ground-wheels it which constitute'the main ctuating units of the animal-'siinulants. An axle iii is united with the centers of the wheels by glue or other appropriate means and extends through a bearing EEjin' a block or irame element ill Whose front end is carriedby wheels 8 and an axle it). This block and these wheel's ane axles constitute a carriage and support for the animal-simulants, a road-vehicle-simulant, and an element of the means to actuate and control the movements of the main units i2 and leg-simulants 13; for the leg-simulants 53 are not only glued or painted on the respective wheels H, but are also provided with a pivot or eccentric 251 for each wheel and its united leg-siniulant 13. Each pivot 2Q extends thru a bearing in the lower rear end-portion or thigh portion Hit of a correlated main-unit or body-portion of the pair of animal-simulants, so that, when the wheel i is rolled forward on a floor or other upwardly facing surface, from the position shown in Fig. l, the eccentric or pivot 23 (of Fig. 1) permits the main unit of the near animal simulant Hi to be lowered until such pivot passes the lowermost point, whereupon, as the wheel continues to roll forward, this near-side main unit is raised to and beyond the point or position shown in Fig. 2, and so on for each revolution of the wheels i l, effecting repeated raising and lowering cycles of each animal-simulant. Inasmuch as the pivots are at opposite sides of the axle 55, one main unit i2 is lowered as the other is raised, so that one main-unit counterbalances the other so as to effect ease of operation, also to enhance the simulation of natural movements of leap-racing of animals such as kangaroos, frogs, rabbits etc.

For cooperation with the elements [4, I5, 20 etc., in supporting the main units l2 in upright positions and forwardly inclined positions, upright guiding elements or rods 2| are united with the block ll and project thru apertured keepers or guide-elements 22 in which the apertures 23 are so large that they afiord room for tilting movement of said keepers with respect to the respective rods 25, as well as longitudinal movement of the rods with respect to the elements 22. Therefore, as the wheels it roll forward precise circular rotation of the pivots 29 and near-vertical movement of the elements 22 cooperate to effect a variety of compound wabbling or oscillatory movements of different parts of the main units H2, in addition to the forward movement imparted by the rolling of the wheels forwardly; and the directions of movement of each unit l2 are, at any given moment, substantially opposite to those of the other unit l2, so they produce the visual effect and other advantages mentioned in the foregoing.

However, it is possible and practicable to eliminate one of theanimal-simulants without affecting the operation and movements of the other one; and it is also possible and practical to put the pivots 2&3 in axial alinement, so that the two animal simulants operate in unison, and for this latter achievement, I present the apertured guide-element 22:0 (of Fig. 5), having only one aperture 23a: and having its opposite edges united with both main units 12 of the two animal-simulants; so one rod 2| can be eliminated; and the two animal-simulants not only move in unison, but more nearly appear as a single animal, especially if the backs of the two main units are united in an arch such as or similar to that shown in Fig. 3b.

In Figs. 1a,, 2a and 3a, the main units of the animal-simulants 2t and 25 comprise horse-body simulants with jockey-simulants united, respectively, therewith; and these and the leg-simulants 26 and 2'! are formed of thicker sheet material than that of the main units l2 which may be of metal or of hard-pressed card-board or composition; whereas, the simulants 24, 25, 26, 21, 28,

and 29 may well be formed of plywood or any other suitable laminated wood or light-weight composition; such laminations being indicated in Fig. So, at M. The rear leg-simulants 26 are united with ground-wheels or main actuators 40 whose axle 4| is journaled in rear bearings :32 of the supporting frame which latter includes a front bearing 43 and intermediate bearings M (most clearly shown in Fig. 4a) These bearings 4d are united with a beam 445 of the supporting frame which also includes abutments 65a. An axle 46 is journaled in the bearing Q3 and is united with front ground-wheels ll for cooperation with the main frame and rear ground wheels to complete a carriage for supporting main-units of the animal-simulants 24 and 25 together with their operating elements 26, 21, 28 and 29 which are connected and operated as follows:

As the rear leg-simulants 26 are intimately united with the respective rear wheels, and reenforced thereby, they may be very thin (as seen in Fig. 3a), being either painted, pasted or glued on the rear wheels. Pivots or eccentrics i8 operatively connect the thigh portion or rear endportion 2st of the animal-body-simulant of each animal-simulant to the correlated one of the rear wheels; pivots 35} operatively connect the front leg-simulants to the main units of the respective animal simulants 2 and 25; and pivots 55 operatively connect the upward extensions of the front leg-simulants to the respective bearings 44. Therefore, as the carriage is moved forward so as to cause the rear wheels to roll forward, the rear leg-simulants then rotate from the visible positions to invisible or hidden positions, first behind the webs 5!, then behind the thigh-portions, and then emerge from behind the thigh and belly portions from where they continue downward to where their feet appear to touch the track whence they continue rearward with respect to the main units; though, in fact they are moving forward with respect to the track or surface on which the carriage travels.

During the rearward movements of the rear leg-simulants, the eccentrics l8 push the respective main units 2 3 and 25 forward with respect to the main frame; and as this moves the pivots 49 forwardly while the pivots 58 are held in the bearings 24- of the main frame, the resultant action of the front leg-simulants is forward and upward, while the rear leg-simulants move rearward and upward; and the resultant combined action very closely simulates the natural loping or galloping movements of real horses or other quadrupeds.

Now, referring especially to Figs. 6a and 7a, and noting the section taken at 5a,6a of Fig. 1a: the upper portion of the main unit 2a is indicated as being of laminated sheet material, and is provided with a bearing thru which extends a pivot or pintle 52. One end of this pintle 52 is secured to the arrn-simulant 28, while its otherend is secured to an actuating arm 53. In cases where the pintles 52 are metal, their ends may be soldered to securing metal-discs 5 5 formed with spurs 55 thereon for being embedded in the respective elements 2% and 53, and the ends of the pintle are soldered to the respective discs as seen at 56. Each main unit 2% and 25 (Figs. 1 and 2) has a combination of units 45a and 53 operatively connected thereto, and each actuating arm 53 is in proper position to slide against the contiguous abutment tea as the main unit 24 or 25 moves forward, upward, rearward and '5 downward; so the cooperation of theseelements 55a and 53 with elements '41 to "48 effects the oscillatory movements of the "elements or "armsimulant 28 and 29, so as to simulate urging the horses to faster action by'use of thewhip-simu- 'lants 51.

While it is within the scope of this invention to mount the wheels 45 torotate independently on the axle 4!,50 the motions ofeach animal-simulant would 'be variable; it is preferable to have both wheels 46 secured on their common axle, and have the actuating means adjusted so one animal-sirnulant moves forward as theother moves rearward in each cycle of movements, viz., in each revolution of the wheels 40 and axle 4-1.

In the modified form shown in Figs. 1b to 4b, the simulant of a rabbit is featured as the animalsimulant; and the main unit thereof is identified by the reference character 60, this unit being hollow, arched or concavo-convex at its upper and front portions, and plane-sided at its lower and middle portions. This unit can be produced by molding from any appropriate plastic composition, preferably fibrous, as indicated in Fig. 3b.

The rear leg-simula-nts 61 are united with the rear ground-wheels or actuating elements 62 that are secured on the rear axle 6'3 which is rotatably mounted in a bearing 64 (Fig. 3b) of the main frame element 6.5 which is an important feature of the actuating means for causing upward, downward, forward and rearward movements of the animal-simulant while also causing naturesiinulating movements of the rear leg-simulants and front leg-simulants 66, in combination with other features of the actuating means, as follows:

Tubular rivets 67, 68 and -69 are shown as the pivots that help to support the main unit or animal-body-simulant to in its various operative positions. tions or thigh-portions of the unit 60 and thru apertured extensions of the rear leg-'simulants and thru the respective wheels 62. The pivots 5B are seated in apertures in the breast-portion of unit 83 and in the front leg-simulants 66. The pivot 59 extends thru apertured end-extensions id of the front leg-simulants and thru an apertured post or upright H which is united with the beam or frame-element B5. A wheeled vehicle-simulant 12 is united with the rear end of the beam 65 and constitutes a part of the means to support and actuate the animal-simulant. This wheeled vehicle is also useful for carrying Easter-eggs or egg-simulants when this toy is displayed or used as an Easter-toy.

The toy may be pulled or pushed forward by any appropriate means, whether in the form here shown or in either of the previously described forms, so as to effect forward rotation of the ground-wheels. As the ground-wheels 62 roll forward, carrying therewith the rear leg-simulants 61, the latter are alternately hidden between the thigh-portions of walls 60212, and in view below said walls; the feet of said rear leg-portions passing down to positions where they appear to touch the ground or supporting surface. During a part of this downward movement Of the rear feet, the pivots 6! push the rear part of the unit 60 upward; but when the pivots 61 have passed over the axle 63, they bring the rear end of unit 60 downward; and during parts of both these movements, upward and downward, the unit 60 is moved from its rearmost position to a position slightly beyond that of Fig. 2b where the pivots 6! begin to move downward and rearward until Pivots '6'! extend thru rear en-d-porthe pivots "87 are at their lowest points when the thigh-portions 60w nearly touch the supporting surface; and as the front leg-'simulants are then approximately vertical, the animal-simulant then 'has'the appearance 'of squatting in readiness to begin a leap forward; then as the pivots '67 move to their rearmost position they not only draw the unit 60 rearward, with respect to the beam 65, but also draw the pivots 68 rearward 'so as to swing the front leg-simulants back near to the wheels62, because of their pivotal connections at '69 to the frame element or upright "H; and this long rearward swing of the front legsi'mulants, in each cycle, concurrently with the rearward swing of the rear 1eg=s'imulants, while the whole device moves forward, produces resultant motion aspects very similar to those of natural running and leaping motions of an actual rabbit.

Although, in these three embodiments of the invention, there are several differences in structure and in resultant motions, they have the following features in common:

(1) In each form, the rear leg-simulants "are fixedly united with the ground-wheels that actuate'them;

(2) In each form, there is provided means to effect a forward lunge of the 'body-simulant or main unit in each cycle of its movements;

(3) In each form of the invention, the operatlng means produces upward and downward movements of the body-simulant or main unit.

(4) In each form, the rear leg-simulants are directly connected to the wheeled supporting frames main supporting axle that is carried by the actuating wheels, being free from any intermediate linkage or gearing. In each form, the rearleg-simulants include foot-simulants, viz., at I31 in Figs. 1, 2 and 3; at 26 in Figs. 1a and 2aand at my in Figs. 1b and 2b.

Although these three forms are described specifically in the foregoing, I haveno intention to limit my patent-protection to these forms, nor to the specific details of disclosure; for the invention is susceptible ofnumerous changes within the scope of the inventive ideas as herein implied and claimed.

I claim the following as my invention:

1. In a mechanically operable figure-toy, the comb1nat1on that includes an animal-body-simulant comprising a front end-portion and a rearend-portlon, a frame operatively connected to the front-end-portion of said animal-body-simulant to ald in supporting the latter in a movable relation to said frame, a wheel having its center rotatably connected to said frame and having an eccentric portion pivotally connected to said rear end-portion for raising and lowering thelatt er, and a rear-leg-simulant fixed on said wheel and thereby rotatable from a hidden upper position behind said rear-end-portion when the latter is lowered and to an unhidden position when said rear-end-portion is raised by said eccentric pore tion and said rear-leg-simulant is lowered by rotation of said wheel. ii

2. In the combination defined by claim 1 said rear-end-portion being a simulation of a thigh of an animal and having the eccentric portion pivotally connected thereto in a proper relation to correlate said rear-leg simulant with said simulant of an animals thigh.

3. The combination defined by claim 1, and a front-leg-simulant, said animal-body-simulant being hollow and comprising side walls and Ian arched upper portion and an open lower portion,

said frame having an upper portion hid between said side-walls and under said arched upper portion, and means operatively connected to said front-leg-simulant and to said upper portion of said frame so as to cause said front-leg-simulant to oscillate with respect to said animal-bodysimulant when said eccentric connection causes said animal-body-simulant to raise and lower said rear-end-portion.

4. In a mechanically operated toy, the combination of an animal-simulant that includes a main body-simulant, means comprising a frame and a wheel operatively connected to said bodysimulant for supporting and actuating the latter so as to efiect forward and rearward movements thereof with respect to said frame, a front-legsimulant comprising a free end, said front-legsimulant being pivotally connected to said frame and to said body-simulant in a proper relation to cause said free end to swing forward and upward with respect to said body-simulant by each forward movement of the body-simulant and to be swung downward and rearward by each rearward movement of said body-simulant, said main bodysimulant being integrally formed with a, simulant of an animate riders head and torso and shoulder, a simulant of an arm and whip pivotally connected to said shoulder, and means operatively combined with the first-said means for effecting upward and downward movements of said simulant of an arm and whi with respect to said main body-simulant.

5. In a mechanically operated toy, the combination of an animal-simulant that includes a main body-simulant, means comprising a frame and a wheel operatively connected to said bodysimulant for supporting and actuating the latter so as to effect forward and rearward movements thereof with respect to said frame, and a frontleg-sim'ulant comprising a free end, said frontleg-simulant being pivotally connected to said frame and to said body-simulant in a proper re lation to cause said free end to spring forward and upward with respect to said body-simulant in consequence of each forward movement of the body-simulant with respect to said frame, also -to cause said free end to swing downward and rearward in consequence of each rearward movement of said body-simulant with respect to said frame.

6. In the combination defined by claim 5, said frame and body-simulant being mutually cooperative as a means effective to swing said free end Of the front leg-simulant consecutively downward and forward and upward in consequence of each complete forward movement of said bodysimulant with respect to said frame, also a a means to swing said free end consecutively downward and rearward and upward in consequence of each complete rearward movement of said body-simulant with respect to said frame.

7. In a mechanically operated toy, the combination of a main unit that includes a simulant of a racing animals body and of an animate riders body, the simulant of said riders body including a shoulder-simulant, a simulant of an arm holding a projecting whip and pivotally connected to said shoulder-simulant, means operable to effect forward motion of said main unit, and means operatively combined with said simulant of an arm and with the first said means so as to simulate whipping the said animals body with said projecting whip.

VINCENT CERINO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 190,978 Pfium' May 22, 1877 465,071 Barnes Dec. 15, 1891 1,345,140 Curry June 29, 1920 1,363,460 Ekelund Dec. 28, 1920 1,502,758 Villani July 29, 1924 1,530,634 Williams Mar. 24, 1925 2,378,190 Cohen June 12, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 224,093 Great Britain Nov. 6, 1924 

